Liquid-jet head joining member protrusion for static elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid-jet heads, such as ink-jet recording heads, face issues with static electricity buildup due to metal components being charged, leading to potential damage of pressure converting elements and unreliable static elimination, especially when adhesive agents used for joining members ooze or squeeze out, causing insulation and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-jet head design featuring a joining member with a protrusion that bites into the nozzle plate, ensuring reliable contact and static elimination regardless of environmental changes, eliminating the need for film adhesives or spacers, and allowing for downsizing by eliminating the requirement for a contact surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective plate or nozzle cover is joined onto the nozzle plate via an adhesive agent, then the nozzle plate is protected, but the adhesive agent may ooze or squeeze out and cause insulation, making it impossible to suppress charging
Solution Approach 1:
A protrusion is introduced as an intermediary element between the joining member and nozzle plate. The protrusion extends from the joining member toward the nozzle plate and makes contact at a point different from the adhesive application location, serving as a dedicated conduction path that is isolated from the adhesive agent, thus preventing insulation while maintaining protective coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The joining member is divided into distinct functional regions: an adhesive application region for bonding and a separate contact region (via protrusion) for electrical conduction. This segmentation ensures that the adhesive agent and conduction path are spatially separated, preventing the adhesive from interfering with the electrostatic discharge function.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a film adhesive agent is used to prevent oozing, then adhesive control is improved, but control over adhesion position becomes difficult and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a common bead-type adhesive agent instead of expensive film adhesive agents. The protrusion structure provides the necessary control and positioning function that would otherwise require sophisticated film adhesive technology, thereby reducing material costs while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If adhesive agent with spacer beads is used to prevent oozing, then adhesive control is improved, but quality control becomes difficult and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing and positioning function is extracted from the adhesive agent itself and transferred to the protrusion structure. This allows the use of simple bead-type adhesive agents without embedded spacers, eliminating the quality control issues associated with spacer dispersion or settlement while maintaining precise positioning and oozing prevention.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the nozzle plate is subjected to insulating treatment, then water repellency is improved, but the applied film needs to be removed for conductive portions, increasing processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle plate maintains its insulating and water-repellent treatment across most of its surface, while only the specific contact region (where the protrusion touches) requires conductivity for static discharge. This localized approach to conductivity preserves the beneficial water-repellent properties across the entire nozzle plate surface while providing necessary conduction paths where needed, eliminating the need to remove insulating films from large areas.
5Reliability
If the protective plate or nozzle cover is conductive to the nozzle plate by contact, then static elimination is achieved, but a clearance is produced due to environmental changes, making static elimination unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion is pre-positioned and extends toward the nozzle plate surface, ensuring that contact is established before the joining member is fully secured. This preliminary contact configuration ensures that even when environmental changes cause expansion or contraction, the protrusion maintains reliable contact with the nozzle plate, providing consistent static discharge capability throughout operational conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the reliability of static elimination and reduces costs by preventing adhesive oozing and simplifying the manufacturing process, while maintaining effective static discharge across environmental changes.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element provided on the vibration plate is displaced to eject ink droplets through the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
the protrusion is allowed to bite into the nozzle plate
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid-jet head, including: a plurality of head bodies each furnished with a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therein; a joining member, adhered to the nozzle plate via an adhesive agent, for binding and fixing the plurality of head bodies; an opening formed in a region of the joining member corresponding to the nozzles; and a protrusion formed in an edge portion of the opening facing the nozzle plate, and protruding toward the nozzle plate, wherein when the joining member is joined to the nozzle plate via the adhesive agent, the protrusion is allowed to bite into the nozzle plate.